Boxall's 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die discussion

I am about 20 pages in and I'm hooked!! :)

I started The Mandarins by Simone de Beauvoir a few days ago and I'm enjoying it so far!

A Heart So White - Marias

A Heart So White

Crash by j.g. Ballard

Kim wrote: "Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos."

Wonderful book,but polemic..

Started . I finished Part one and loving it.

Just starting Infinite Jest...looking forward to it

Pnin by Vladimir Nabokov earlier in the week, and Thousand Cranes by Yasunari Kawabata today.

The immortals of meluha

Mekki wrote: "Crash by j.g. Ballard"

Good luck with that!

I'm a quarter of the way into Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.

Middlemarch by George Eliot will be an on going read for the rest of the summer and A Passage to India by E.M. Forster I hope to finish in June.

Cloud atlas. I was intrigued by it when I saw the movie preview, but i don't want to see the movie before i read it.

Nadine wrote: "Cloud atlas. I was intrigued by it when I saw the movie preview, but i don't want to see the movie before i read it."

I loved Cloud Atlas. It took me a bit to get used to the different styles of writing, but once I did it was great. I saw the movie after reading the book and I thought it was done as well as could be expected given such a complicated set of interwoven storylines, but I enjoyed the book much more (as usual).

Melissa wrote: "Middlemarch by George Eliot will be an on going read for the rest of the summer and A Passage to India by E.M. Forster I hope to finish in June."

A Passage to India took me two and a half months. I hated it. By contrast, Howard's End was a breeze, though it took me four years to pick up another Forster book after Passage.

I also just started Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I know the movie is coming out soon but the story intrigued me and I have been enjoying it so far.

Maureen wrote: "I also just started Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. I know the movie is coming out soon but the story intrigued me and I have been enjoying it so far."

This was amazing!

I started The War of the End of the World last week, but ended up reshelving back to TBR for now. I hope to pick it back up when I have the time and energy to really dig in and focus on it. I have several other list books planned for this month, so I'm hoping I'll find one that is a bit of an easier read!

Linda wrote:
I loved Cloud Atlas. It took me a bit to get used to the different styles of writing, but once I did it was great. I saw the movie after reading the book and I thought it was done as well as could be expected given such a complicated set of interwoven storylines, but I enjoyed the book much more (as usual). "

I used to watch the movie first if I wasn't sure about the book, then I would read the book if I liked the movie enough. Now I tend to read the book first, in order to put my own images on the characters and setting, to the risk of being disapointed in the movie. Ah, weird, maybe? So would you say the Cloud Atlas movie is still worth seeing?

Nadine wrote: "I used to watch the movie first if I wasn't sure about the book, then I would read the book if I liked the movie enough. Now I tend to read the book first, in order to put my own images on the characters and setting, to the risk of being disapointed in the movie. Ah, weird, maybe? So would you say the Cloud Atlas movie is still worth seeing?"

I always read the book first - there are more details in the book than in the movie and like you said, I get to visualize the characters myself. If I watch the movie first, then usually I feel as if the book drags on and I don't enjoy it as much, and then of course I just have the image of the movie in my head. My cousin always watches the movie before reading the book and I can never understand how he can do it in that order. :)

Yes, I would recommend watching the Cloud Atlas movie - I enjoyed it. There are a few things that were changed (the ending a bit), but overall it was well-done. The only thing I didn't like was Tom Hanks playing one certain character, it didn't fit with the book (he plays Zachary in the movie and he was too old for the part).

I've started The Color Purple and liking it, and also listening to Sense and Sensibility on Playaway audio which is new to me.

Started a Tale of Two Cities a week ago. So far, so good.

Linda wrote: "I'm a quarter of the way into Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe."

I really loved this book. There are two other books in the series which are also very good.

Started into Cat's Eye by Margaret Atwood, slow going so far.

I've started The Scarlet Letter. Once I made it past the introduction, I'm finding it to be readable.

Just about to start Fingersmith (book of the month).

The monthly book is great - gets me reading different books so I don't get stuck in a rut!

Started A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, today! =)

Emma wrote: "Just about to start Fingersmith (book of the month).

The monthly book is great - gets me reading different books so I don't get stuck in a rut!"

Awesome, I just put it on hold at my local library. I've heard it has an Oliver Twist influence and was wondering if anyone would think Oliver Twist should be read first? Sometimes reading certain list books before others helps :)

Just started Exercises in Style by Raymond Queneau. Seems interesting how you find new details with each page.

Samantha wrote: "Emma wrote: "Just about to start Fingersmith (book of the month).

The monthly book is great - gets me reading different books so I don't get stuck in a rut!"

Awesome, I just put it on hold at my ..."

Not necessarily..

Yesterday I started Never let me go by Ishiguro- really into it already :)

Just started Fingersmith and The Glass Key

Bleak Houseby Charles Dickens

Laura wrote: "Yesterday I started Never let me go by Ishiguro- really into it already :)"

It is one of my favorite books. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Just started Dashiell
Hammett's The Maltese Falcon

Ed wrote: "Just started Dashiell
Hammett's The Maltese Falcon"

I'm in the middle of that one as well and really enjoying it. I'm also about halfway through The Blind Assassin and loving it.

I've started Jealousy by Alain Robbe-Grillet.

I'm starting The Child In Time by Ian McEwan today.

Started "The Devil and Miss Prym" this morning and, so far, liking it better than I thought I would.

The Devil and Miss Prym

Just started A Ballad For Georg Henig. It has one of the highest average ratings (currently 4.61) on the list.

Will be starting Blood and Guts in High School by Kathy Acker.

Just started Uncle Tom's Cabin

I loved uncle tom's cabin.

Takes a little while to get used to the writing but once I did I really enjoyed it. I read it just before reading 12 years a slave which mentions the book.

1Q84 by Murakami and I am really addicted to it!

The Handmaid's Tale- not super into it, about halfway through.

Luís wrote: "Bleak Houseby Charles Dickens"

I absolutely ADORE bleak house. Hope you enjoy it!!

Payten wrote: "Luís wrote: "Bleak Houseby Charles Dickens"

I absolutely ADORE bleak house. Hope you enjoy it!!"

I'm about to finished it..That's a great & wonderful story!!

I'm working on The Left-Handed Woman and The Death of Ivan Ilych

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood. I really like it so far, which doesn't surprise me as I have enjoyed the other Atwood novels I've read in the past.

Started Summer Will Show by Sylvia Townsend Warner.